Method of making arch supports



March 9,1943. w E BLACKBURN' 3 2,313,314

METHOD OF MAKING ARCH SUPPORTS Filed June 21, 1941 F157;. I 3111-15-.YINVENTOIL WE .fiZac 783-207-11 Patented Mar. 9, 1943 UNTED QFEECE 1Claim.

This invention relates to a method of making an arch support.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an arch supporterwhich is not only inexpensive to manufacture but is also strong, light;and flexible.

A further object is to provide an arch supporter which can be readilywashed and which is moisture-resistant.

It is well known to those skilled in the art that when leather is usedin the formation of arch supporters, it quickly becomes impregnated withmoisture which not only leaves it unsanitary but also tends to renderthe leather brittle with the result that it soon cracks and becomeuseless.

An object of the present invention is to utilize materials which areeasily assembled, will retain; the shape into which they are formed andwhich will resist deterioration due to moisture.

Another object is to provide an arch supporter which can be built up ona last of a shoe best suited to the requirements of the user so that itthus becomes unnecessary to make casts of plaster of Paris, wax or othermaterials preparatory to forming the supporter and all of which addsgreatly to the cost of production.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel steps inthe method of producing the article, all of which will be more fullydescribed hereinafter, it being understood that various changes may bemade without departing from the spirit of the invention and within thescope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of the archsupporter.

Figure 2 is a greatly enlarged and somewhat exaggerated section on line22, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of one of the cork layers and showing a portionof one of its rubber cement coatings.

Figure 4 is a transverse section through the mold members, each beingshown with a coating of rubber cement.

Figure 5 is a section on an enlarged scale through a portion of theassembled layers of cork forming the core.

Figure 6 is a similar View showing the marginal portion dressed down toa feather edge.

Figure 7 is a section through a portion of the bottom covering and itsfilm of rubber cement.

Figure 8 is a section through the top covering and its film of rubbercement.

As shown in Figure 1 the arch supporter ineludes, in addition to theheel portion A, a toe portion B including a metatarsal elevation C whichis an integral part of the support and is shaped to hold all metatarsalheads in proper relationship to each other. At one side the supporterhas a high flange D which serves to support the internal cuniform andscaphoid bones.

As before stated this supporter is adapted to befashioned on the last ofa shoe which meets the requirements of the user. A portion of such alast has been shown at L in Figure 4 and constitutes one-half of a moldwhile the other half of the mold, which has been indicated at M, isshaped to cooperate properly with the mold member L in the compressionand shaping of the supporter. Both of the parts L and M are formed ofwood so that rubber cement, after drying thereon, can be readilystripped therefrom, wood having the peculiar characteristic of offeringlittle resistance to the removal of dried rubber cement which has beenapplied to it.

After mold members L and M of the proper contours have been selected, acoating of rubber cement shown at l is applied to the working face ofthe member L while another coating of rubber cement indicated at 2 isapplied to the active surface of the other member VI.

A thin strip of cork, approximately one-eighth of an inch thick, is cutto the proper shape as shown, for example, at 3 in Figure 3 after whicha layer of rubber cement 4 is applied to one surface thereof and anotherlayer of rubber cement 5 is applied to the opposite surface thereof.After the coatings of cement on the mold members have dried and thecoatings of cementon the cork have also dried, sai-d cork with itscement coatings is heated with dry air, steam or hot water after whichthe cork and its adhering coatings is placed between the mold membersand placed under pressure thereby. A second strip of cork correspondingin shape and size to the piece already used and which has been indicatedat 6, is also coated on both sides with rubber cement as indicated at 1and 8. See Figure 2. This cement is permitted to dry and thereafter itis heated with dry air, steam or hot water and the mold members L and Mare moved apart so that one of them will strip off of the materialpreviously placed between them. The second layer of coated cork is thenplaced against the first layer between the mold members and said membersare again pressed together so that both thicknesses of cork togetherwith the rubber cement thereon, will be pressed together and brought tothe desired configuration.

A thickness of moisture-resisting material which is both wider andlonger than the cork strip, is provided for the bottom side of thesupporter and has been'indicated at 9. This is provided on its uppersurface with a coating of rubber cement shown at H).

While this film I of rubber cement is drying, the shaped thicknesses lto 8 inclusive are removed from between the mold members and the edgesof the structure are dressed down with an abrading wheel or the likeuntil brought to a feather edge as indicated at H in Figure 2.Thereafter the material 9 is applied to the bottom of the formedstructure and its edge portion [2 turned over the feather edge II. A toplayer l3 of moisture-resisting material having on one side a coatin ofrubber cement, shown at M, is applied to the top surface of the formedstructure and to the inturned edge portion l2. Thereafter the entirearticle is placed between the mold members L and M and subjected tofilnal pressure after which any projecting edge portions of the materiall3 are trimmed off and the formation of the arch supporter is thuscompleted.

It will be noted that the elevations in the arch supporter are built upfrom the initial compressporters produced as herein described have manyadvantages over other articles heretofore produced of a similar nature.Among its advantages is its ability to resist moisture and thus bereadily cleaned or washed and retained in a sanitary condition. It willnot harden and crack as a result of moisture absorption. While itretains its shape, it nevertheless has desired flexibility. It is cheapto manufacture but is very eificient.

What is claimed is:

The method of producing an arch supporter including the step ofselecting a last to meet the requirements of the user of the supporter,shaping a mold for cooperation with the last, shaping separatethicknesses of sheet cork, applying rubber cement to both sides of eachsheet and permitting it to dry, applying rubber cement to the last andmold, thereafter softening one of said layers and its cement with heatand shaping it between last and mold coated with rubber cement,thereafter applying the other thickness to the shaped thickness andsubjecting both thicknesses to pressure between the last and mold,removing the shaped thicknesses from between the last and mold andtrimming the margin to a feather edge, applying to the bottom surface ofthe formed thicknesses a layer of moisture-resisting material, inturningthe edge portion of said bottom layer to overlie portions of the joinedlayers, thereafter applying a top layer of moisture-resisting material,thereby to overlie the inturned edge portion, trimming the edge of saidtop layer, and finally subjecting all of the layers to pressure betweenthe last and mold.

WELLINGTON E. BLACKBURN.

